CASIO, Inc., in conjunction
with its parent company, CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD., Tokyo, Japan has
announced that using its proprietary optical technology, CASIO COMPUTER
CO., LTD., has developed the world's first lens using transparent
ceramics. This breakthrough will make it possible to create zoom lenses
for cameras with greatly reduced profiles.

Ever since CASIO's
EXILIM thin card-size digital camera went on sale, the entire digital
camera market has undergone a huge change. Compact digital cameras offering
mobility in a small package have become mainstream, while there has
been a major push in technological development to find better methods
of creating smaller, thinner cameras.

"CASIO has become known
around the world for its innovation and leadership in the digital camera
arena, and today's breakthrough announcement reaffirms that position,"
said John Clough, president of Casio, Inc. "CASIO created the
market for truly pocketable and stylish digital cameras with its award-winning
EXILIM line, and we can now look forward to even smaller cameras that
pack an even greater array of features."

CASIO is continuing to take
the lead in this field by creating the world's first transparent
ceramic lens using LUMICERA, a transparent ceramic developed by Murata
Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

LUMICERA has the same light
transmitting qualities as optical glass commonly used in today's
conventional camera lenses, however it has two very important properties
that caught CASIO's attention. Not only is LUMICERA's refractive
index (nd = 2.08) much greater than that of optical glass (nd = 1.5
-- 1.85 *2), it also offers superior strength. CASIO has been able
to create a ceramic lens with extremely high levels of precision thanks
to several factors. Under recommendations from CASIO the material itself
has been refined for use in digital camera optical lenses by endowing
it with improved transmission of short wavelength light and eliminating
pores (air bubbles) that reduce transparency. CASIO has also established
a complete process involving the perfect combination of polishing material,
time and pressure, and by treating the lens with a special coating compatible
with a high refractive index.

By incorporating this lens
into the construction of the zoom lenses developed by CASIO, a reduction
in profile of approximately 20% has been made possible.